A Systematic Ex-Vivo Study of the Anti-Proliferative/Cytotoxic Bioactivity of Major Olive Secoiridoids’ Double Combinations and of Total Olive Oil Phenolic Extracts on Multiple Cell-Culture Based Cancer Models Highlights Synergistic Effects

Abstract

Several individual olive oil phenols (OOPs) and their secoiridoid derivatives have been shown to exert anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity in treatments of human cancer cell lines originating from several tissues. This study evaluated the synergistic anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects of five olive secoiridoid derivatives (oleocanthal, oleacein, oleuropein aglycone, ligstroside aglycone and oleomissional) in all possible double combinations and of total phenolic extracts (TPEs) on eleven human cancer cell lines representing eight cell-culture-based cancer models. Individual OOPs were used to treat cells for 72 h in half of their EC50 values for each cell line and their synergistic, additive or antagonistic interactions were evaluated by calculating the coefficient for drug interactions (CDI) for each double combination of OOPs. Olive oil TPEs of determined OOPs’ content, originating from three different harvests of autochthonous olive cultivars in Greece, were evaluated as an attempt to investigate the efficacy of OOPs to reduce cancer cell numbers as part of olive oil consumption. Most combinations of OOPs showed strong synergistic effect (CDIs < 0.9) in their efficacy, whereas TPEs strongly impaired cancer cell viability, better than most individual OOPs tested herein, including the most resistant cancer cell lines evaluated.

Oleocanthal Protects C2C12 Myotubes against the Pro-Catabolic and Anti-Myogenic Action of Stimuli Able to Induce Muscle Wasting In Vivo

“…OC is a monophenol belonging to the category of secoiridoids which has been largely investigated in terms of its anticancer activity [3]. Indeed, data obtained using different cancer cell lines have shown that it impinges on the number of cells by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis [4]. Similar observations have been reported in experimental models of liver, breast and lung cancer [5].…”

Dietary Polyphenols against Oxidative Stress in Head and Neck Cancer: What's New, What's Next

“…Olive oil is widely recognized for its antioxidant properties but can also be used against cancer. Several studies have shown that oleuropein decreases cancer cell viability and exhibits pro-apoptotic effects through the p53-dependent pathway and by activating BAX and Bcl-2 genes in breast cancer cells (MCF-7) 123 . HT can also influence cell cycle progression by arresting cancer cells in the G0/G1 phase and reducing cyclin D1 levels.…”